Morning journal and courier., 1887-01-18
TEE H,sro.IcAL SOCIETY.

The Concluding Part of Ills Paper |
 On the Uses of Historical Societies
 And Their Future-Valaable Hints
 And Suggestions.
 Only seventeen persons braved the ice, sleet and storm to hear the reading by Cap tain Douglass Lef6ngwell on the future of the Historical society. Professor s. E. Baldwin, the president, called the meeting to order at | a little after o'clock. The proceedings of | the last meeting were read and approved. | The curator also read list of donations and additions to the library. The secretary, Thomas R. Trowbridge, jr., was not present. Two ladies of Mir. Nathan Easterbrook's family were present. Professor Johnson T. Platt, MT. Gilmore (Edmund Kirke) of Ten nessee, Judge L. E. Munson, James D. Dew
 ell, Esq, Hon. James M. Mason, George D
 Seymour, Esq, and MT. M. M. Gower were
 among those present. The reading occupied
 about forty minutes. It was a very elabo-
 rate, interesting and instructive paper. MT. Lefingwell said
 The intent of the paper read tonight IS to enquire into the relations which historical societies sustain to the many other organiza- tions or forms of associate human life grow ! ing up in the American States, with special
 reference to any educational significance that l is apparent in these relations-either being I incidental to them or made possible by any
 mutual interest discovered in or developed among them There is 8 sentiment, a feel | ing, developing through all our American communities, and every day it is taking more definite shape, that our educational methods are not as complete and perfect as they may be. The conditions of equality
 which have made our popular free into the human relationships, which give to the business of instruction a scope of ends and aims of which we have as yet only vague idea. The American people are beginning to realize that the schools do not complete the education. There should be availing this maturing life after the grad uation day has come, and the diplomas re- ceiyed. a system of further and advanced in structional methods. By those who have given the subject serious thought, the opin ion is most emphatically expressed that there is to day, before the American people, nothing of greater importance than the
 question: "What shall supplement the
 schools?" In following this query to some
 practical and satisfactory answer, 1t is
 designed to bring the Historical society
 prominently forward as one of the effective
 working agents, and, more than that, as the
 
 whose active ministry this supplementary
 system may be developeE
 Before passing directly into the argument
 the speaker hastily reviewed the changes
 which have taken place in the business of
 instruction during few of the later cen
 turies. He said that Hon Charles Francis
 Adams, jr., in an address lore the teachers
 of the public schools in Quincy, Mass, spoke
 thusly: Having given child start by
 means of what we call a common school
 course, having, as it were, taught it to walk,
 the further education (seif- -education) is to
 begin. The great means of self-education is
 through books and much reading of books.
 But there is in system of education a
 missing link la our schools we teach our
 children to read, but do not teach them how
 to read. Though the school and the library
 stand side by side, there is, so to speak, no
 bridge leading from one to the other"
 The speaker continued The schools be
 gin the education, but they only press on the mi..d to put it's grasp upon the work of
 natural life They open the ways for the mental discipline. But in ali this the schools are limited, and may not go beyond the text book and the teacher. With our political conditions of equality and our new social relations based upon and growing out of those conditions of equality, there comes also the necessity for either extending our present educational system organizing something new. The question suggested by M T. school ducation to self f-education-from the
 school to the hbrary-in other words, what
 shall supplant the schools? is the most i'm
 portant question now pending before
 the American public. The Hon. Ed
 ward Everett once gave to the public library the name of ''Ihe Peoples library" MT. Everett right far as the library reached. the people. but it is we'll known that the library reaches but few of the masses of
 the people. It may be that hundred will
 read the newspapers and magazines where one will read book, and a book remaining on the shelf unopened and unread is to the people of about the same utility the jack
 knife is to the average boy when it is lying
 at the bottom of the well. It was this failure
 of the library to reach the people
 that led to the query of MT.
 Adams. That library is not the peoples
 college, but only department around it.
 Around the public ibray there may be
 mutual improvement. The first essential
 in this grouping will be the historical and
 reading room departments. Then will come
 the many forms of literary societies It is
 this grouping of other associations around
 the library that will bring it nearer to the peo- pie. Public libraries and reading rooms do not grow up in our communities as the oak grows in the forest. They grow as human institutions always grow, which are builded when the occasions come that need them.
 The library is the basis of historical soci- ! cities and reading rooms must soon become | feature of their working plan. Tho charter of the historical society declares that in addi | tion to other things the object of it shall be | to cultivate among the citizens of the State l knowledge of the liberal and useful arts, l science and literature. The many centennial l celebrations held during the last few years, the increasing interest in anniversary days | and occasions, is preparing the way for the l of historical societies throughout l all sections of the country.
 The popular desire for public reading l rooms and libraries is also very great and is | and will take advantage of this | newly awakened interest in the collection | and preservation of the materials of history | and of knowledge, and the two will | join hands and work together. Perhaps | in most of the communities the Historical | society and the public reading room will | pass under one management. The time can cieties, already firmly established, will see their opportunity of strengthening and | building up their influence by forming alli- ance, not only for the purpose of gathering | and preserving the materials of knowl edge and of history, but also with the view of awakening in our more prosperous com munities local activity in favor of public \ reading rooms and librarles.
 It was the poet Wadsworth who asked the | question: "What one is, why not the mil | lions2" This is the question which the con- ditions of human equality are asking to- l day. The new organizations mean | both good and evil, and they | range from the Young Mems Christian asso- l citation to the Chicago anarchists. It is | among these organizations and fellowships, | constantly increasing in number, that the | historical societies are opportunely growing ! up. There is hardly trade but has it's | local unions. These unions are banded into I general organizations, both district and na- tlonal. They were organized to force con- sessions from capital and are now engaged in l that business. They have made many mis- l takes, and are still blundering. These mis- l takes are mostly the fault of reckless or in competent leaders. In much that has been done under this reckless and unprincipled leadership we see the force of the words of Goethe: 'There is nothing more terrible than active ignorance" This has been strikingly apparent in some of the phases which the labor settlements and troubles have presented. The strikes have been conducted with little wisdom; and the boycotting was criminal. But these organi- cations, under 8 wise management, are oood thin0 and without any oueatjon thav